November!
By Douglas R. Pratt, P.E.
November!! It sounds and seems like a long time into the
future. For many, thoughts of November
begin with deer hunting, Thanksgiving, rivalry football games, gray skies,
wind, and colder temperatures.
This November is one of the most important in the history of
the State of Michigan, and of the USA.
Changes are taking place in Washington and Lansing that are moving us quickly
toward European Socialism. “Hogwash”, you might say. But having lived in Europe for several years,
I can tell you we are certainly heading that way. And I can certainly tell you, you won’t like
it.
Will you like gasoline prices at $8.00 per gallon? In
Britain, that is the case with more than half of that cost going into the general
fund to finance a decrepit national healthcare system. Waiting for treatment can be months. In extreme cases the wait can result in the
death of the patient, unable to get treatment in time. This happened to a dear friend of mine who
was late in getting diagnostic cancer treatment.
How would your family cope with a sales tax rate approaching 20%?
In Europe, they call it a VAT (value-added tax). On June 22, Britain increased its VAT to 20%. Spain’s VAT is at 16%, with Germany at 19%, 19.6 % in France, and 20% in
Italy. VAT is included in the sticker price of all products, so the
buyer won’t be reminded how high it is. Think
about a 20% VAT on the next car you buy!
In Europe income tax approaches 50%
for those with an equivalent USA salary of approximately $50,000 per year. In some European countries it approaches 60% for
those far from being rich.
Think about it! Are
you ready to see your tax burden double or more to support these European-style
programs that are now bankrupting Europe?
As we approach November, take a close look at what is going
on in Europe. We can learn much from
their experiences and failures.
Many of our current leaders think somehow we can do better
in the USA than Europe with the same doomed philosophies. Really!?!?
Don’t let them try! Dig deeply.
Know and understand the candidates and the principles for which they stand. Find out what his or her views are on the environment,
job-creating free enterprise, life and healthcare, illegal immigration,
national defense, limited government, human rights, and adherence to the U.S.
Constitution. It is no accident or
coincidence that the United States of America has become the envy of the world
as a land of freedom, opportunity, and economic prosperity.
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On this Fourth of July, as we reflect on the
birth of our nation and the principles behind that significant event,
consider
the ballot you will cast in November, 2010.
It could be the most important ballot of your life, and in the history
of the USA. It may mean voting like you
never have before, perhaps for
a candidate of the other party. Your
ballot might mean the end of the American Way of Life (i.e. liberty and
freedom
to live your life the way you want), or the preservation of it as our
Founding
Fathers envisoned.
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Douglas R. Pratt, P.E., is the
Advanced Construction Careers Connection (AC3)
Project Director at MITECH+, Inc.,
Midland, Michigan.
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